The other day I caught a quick whiff of lilacs which is usually my cue that spring is truly here. Lacey's been taking advantage of the warmer days by sunning herself the deck in the afternoons. Most of our seeds have germinated so we've got a cute little group of seedlings next to our kitchen window. We can run out for groceries without bundling up first. Everything just feels a little easier in warmer, sunnier weather.
The last couple of days though? Rain, snow, and then some more rain. Sure, the snow-covered Monday morning looked really pretty and felt extra cozy at first but by that afternoon I was longing for some sun. I've wanted to get outside and make a couple of new photography backgrounds but the weather just hasn't cooperated these last few days. I guess that's Spring for you.
Thankfully you don't need to wait for a sunny day to enjoy these Raspberry Crumble Bars. They're sure to brighten up a drizzly spring day! The bars are made up of three layers: a granola crumb-style crust, a sweet-tart raspberry chia seed filling, and a thick granola crumble topped with pumpkin seeds and coconut. The sweetened raspberry filling is studded with chunky bits of fresh raspberries for some tart-sweet flavour and juicy texture. Serve these bars with vegan ice cream or whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate for a decadent dessert that's sure to impress!
These bars are best made the night before you intend to serve them. After an evening cured in an air-tight container the sweet crust becomes soft and cookie-like and the crumble loses its crispness. The raspberry filling is delicious all on its own and would be perfect on oatmeal, pancakes, toast, ice cream, and smoothie bowls.
For reference, I used Nature's Path Hemp Plus Granola in this recipe. Nature's Path is my go-to granola/cereal brand and I've got tons of their granola in my pantry. I've tried a variation of this recipe using their Chia Plus Coconut Granola and their Flax Plus Pumpkin Granola and they both work perfectly - any of their boxed granolas will be really good choices. You're welcome to try making these bars with any granola you happen to have on hand but a lighter granola containing rice crisps will be closest to what I used.
Vegan Raspberry Crumble Bars
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dessert, Snack, Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
Description
A sweet vegan dessert bar made with a raspberry chia seed filling, a granola crumb crust, and a thick crumble topping. Serve with vegan ice cream and chocolate for a decadent dessert.
Ingredients
Raspberry Chia Filling
- 2 ½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Crust
- 1 ½ cups granola (I used Nature's Path Hemp Plus)
- ¼ cup coconut oil, soft (at room temperature)
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- pinch salt
Crumble Topping
- ¾ cup granola
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, soft (at room temperature)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds (optional)
- 1 tbsp shaved coconut (optional)
Instructions
Raspberry Chia Filling
- In a medium saucepan, heat 2 ½ cups frozen raspberries, ⅓ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice over medium heat. Stir often. Once the raspberries have released their juices stir in 2 tablespoon of chia seeds - be sure to break up any chia seed lumps. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and continue to cook until the mixture has thickened and the berries have broken down. Add ½ cup of fresh or frozen berries and continue cooking until berries are heated through (break them up slightly if desired.) Remove from heat and set aside.
Crust
- Pulse 1 ½ cups of granola in a food processor until the texture is rough but fairly even (no large chunks.)
- In a medium-sized bowl, cream together ⅓ cup sugar and ¼ cup coconut oil. Beat in 2 tablespoon of water. Add the processed granola, ⅔ cup flour, and a pinch of salt. Mix well. The mixture should be moist but not wet and hold together easily when pinched. Adjust the texture using a touch of flour or water if necessary. Set aside.
Crumble Topping
- Pulse ¾ cup granola in a food processor until the texture has evened out slightly (no large chunks of granola.)
- Cream together ¼ cup sugar and 3 tablespoon coconut oil. Beat in 1 tablespoon water. Add processed granola, ⅓ cup flour, and a pinch of salt. Mix up the crumble topping with your hands (try to encourage a chunky uneven texture.) Stir in the pumpkin seeds and coconut (if using.)
Assembling the Bars
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper. Press the crust mixture firmly into the pan.
- Top the crust with an even layer of the raspberry chia filling.
- Top the crust with a thick layer of crumble.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the crumble is barely golden brown. Cool and slice into 12 bars.
Notes
Raspberry Chia Seed Filling: It can be a little tough to decide when the raspberry mixture has thickened up enough to transfer on top of the crust. Chill a spoon by running it under COLD water. Dip it into the raspberry mixture. Once cooled, the consistency should be thick and jam-like (not runny) but not so firm that it's hard to get off of the spoon.You can use this method throughout the cooking process to check the fillings progress.Storing: These bars are best served after 12-24 hours in an air-tight container or bag. These bars freeze very well.
Stacey
Absolutely love your raspberry chia seed filling!! Love the alternative to using cornstarch or other starches. I'll be making these again, as well as using the raspberry filling on top of some vegan almond milk custard/pudding I made earlier today!!
★★★★★
Aricka
This recipe is amazing! The filling set up perfectly and I didn't have to simmer it for long at all. Topped pieces off with Coconut Milk Whipped Topping.
★★★★★
Danny
These look so good! I'm planning on making these in a few days except... are there any alternatives to using coconut oil?
★★★★★
Brittany
Vegan butter should work well here! Thanks Danny!
Victoria
how many calories is in this? I've made it a handful of times for my family and its gone in minutes!!!
Brittany
Hi Victoria! I'm so glad you like them! They are approx. 268 calories/bar. I've added the nutritional information to the end of the blog post. Thank you!
AGA
These turned out incredible!!!! I made these with three types of berries and gluten-free flour. I used 3 tbs of coconut palm sugar in the crust layer, 1 packet of stevia and 1/2 cup of extra berries in the chia berry layer and only 1.5 tbs of coconut palm sugar in the crumble topping. I baked the crust for 5 mins first, then added the chia berry layer and crumble topping and baked for 35 mins longer. I used Nature's Path Vanilla Almond granola and added some pumpkin seeds to the top layer. AMAZING! These were plenty sweet.....may even even reduce to 3 tbs in total next time! Thank you for such an incredible recipe. Cannot wait to serve these today for my birthday.
★★★★★
Brittany
YAY!! Thanks for all of your notes, that's great to hear! I'm so glad they worked out so well for you 😀 Happy Birthday!!
Aga
Thank you! My family devoured these within minutes and asked for recipe 🙂
Aga
Will gluten free flour work? Also, will the overall outcome change if I decrease sugar by half?
Brittany
Hi there! I haven't tried these with gluten free flour but I'm thinking it would probably work quite well in this recipe. As for the sugar, the outcome will definitely change. The bars probably might not brown as well. If I were you, I'd reduce the sugar in the filling (maybe get rid of it all together??) and add an additional 1 tbsp of chia seeds. Then I'd leave the amount of sugar in the crust and struesel the same, or decreased just slightly. If you give them a try I'd love to find out how they turn out! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Shauna
I'm a bit addicted to date bars, so these will definitely fit right in! I think I'll make a batch for Mother's Day. Pinned!
Brittany
Thanks so much Shauna! Hope you love them 😀
Keith @ How's it Lookin?
I gotta try these. They're probably so crunchy, thanks for sharing
Brittany
Thanks Keith! If you prefer them crunchy they're best served straight after cooling 😀
Carolann
Are there any healthier variations for sugar and all purpose flour?
Brittany
Coconut sugar or evaporated can sugar will work well in place of regular sugar. I'd try whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose. Thanks Carolann!
Drew
I just made a an 8x8 batch with whole wheat flower and coconut sugar. I look forward to sharing it tomorrow with the fami,y for a Sunday afternoon lunch. Easy recipe, and I enjoyed the way you described the process, A+ for directions!
Thank you!
Brittany
Thanks so much Drew! I hope your family enjoys them! 😀
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
O I love that you used granola as the crumble!! So fun!
Brittany
Thanks Rebecca!
Maria
These bars look amazing... Perfect for an afternoon snack. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Brittany
Thank you Maria!
Jolina - The Unlikely Baker
Now if only spring will act like spring! I've been wearing my winter jacket all this week (sigh). On to these delightful bars. They look great! And so healthy. I think I will try them with homemade granola (we've been trying to slowly stay away from store-bought ones so we have lots of homemade available - we've been...experimenting). Hope that doesn't affect the taste or texture.
Brittany
I think homemade granola would work just fine! Just pay attention to the texture and adjust the flour/moisture if necessary!
Cassie @ Crumb Kitchen
Brittany, you're website is so darn cute. And so are these vegan raspberry crumble bars! I find bars the most difficult to photograph (mine are never photogenic haha), but yours look FANTASTIC!
Brittany
Aww, thanks so much Cassie! 😀 😀
Dylan
I have to say I just adore these photos. I can feel the texture and the red really stands out. Bravo!
Brittany
Thank you Dylan! I appreciate your compliments 😀
Vicky Chin
I always want to bake more vegan recipes even though I am not a vegetarian, this looks easy and delicious! And I like the idea of serving it with ice cream! ?
Brittany
Thank you Vicky!
Edith
This recipe looks so good! Need to try it asap 🙂
Brittany
Thanks so much Edith!